Angels back xigxag as it eyes ÂŁ650k EIS to scale listen-and-read audiobooks
This article covers Xigxag, a UK startup, which has announced fresh investment from a syndicate of angel backers and is pursuing a ÂŁ650,000 EIS funding round at a ÂŁ6.5 million pre-money valuation to accelerate product development and international growth. The development aims to support the scaling of an integrated listen-and-read audiobook format, affecting readers such as language learners, children and people with reading difficulties, and stakeholders including publishers and libraries.
xigxag, a UK startup that blends text and audio to rework the audiobook experience, has announced fresh investment from a group of angel investors. The move is a notable data point in the broader push to make digital reading more accessible and interactive, and it comes as the company pursues an EIS funding round to accelerate product development and international growth.
Why it matters
Audiobooks have been a fast-growing segment of the publishing industry, but formats have changed little in recent years. xigxag says it is introducing a new, integrated listen-and-read format that could alter how people consume books—particularly for readers who benefit from simultaneous audio and text, such as language learners, children and people with reading difficulties.
The startup reports a catalogue of more than 125,000 titles and customers across 60 countries, placing it as a small but geographically diverse player in a roughly $35 billion global audiobook market. Those numbers, combined with recent growth claims, make xigxag worth watching for publishers, libraries and rights holders exploring alternative digital formats.
Inside the product
xigxag’s app combines audio narration with synced text and illustrations. The product lets users switch between listening and reading, look up words, search within a title, take notes and share quotes from the integrated file. The company charges a single price for these enhanced audiobook files rather than splitting audio and ebook rights.
That approach tackles a practical licensing and UX problem: users often want both formats, and publishers have historically monetised audio and text separately. By packaging them together, xigxag aims to offer a more usable single-file experience that could appeal to education buyers, family markets and consumers seeking accessibility features.
xigxag also highlights organic traction. The company says it doubled revenue twice over two years without paid marketing, suggesting a product-market fit among niche audiences who value the combined format.
Founder perspective
xigxag was founded in 2019 by Kelli Fairbrother and Mark Chaplin. Fairbrother is the company’s co-founder and CEO.
In the announcement, Kelli Fairbrother, co-founder and CEO at xigxag, said:
Our goal is to make it easy for everyone, regardless of age, ability or background, to enjoy the magic of books. Books have the power to change lives and with xigxag we are ensuring everyone has the opportunity to experience that power in a way that is affordable, sustainable and truly transformative.
We’re delighted to have secured funding from a group of Lifted Ventures angel investors, alongside successfully exited World of Books founders Stephen Boobyer and Ken Blair, to further develop our technology and scale xigxag so that even more people around the world can discover and enjoy books in a completely new way.
The founders frame xigxag as both a consumer product and an accessibility-first tool, with potential applications in education, libraries and inclusive publishing.
Who’s backing the round
xigxag says the investment comes from a syndicate of angel investors including Lifted Ventures, Alma Angels and individual backers Stephen Boobyer and Ken Blair, the founders of World of Books. Boobyer and Blair bring industry experience from their successful book resale business, which provides operational and rights-market context to xigxag’s ambitions.
The company is targeting a ÂŁ650,000 EIS funding round at a ÂŁ6.5 million pre-money valuation. xigxag has stated this capital will be used to further develop its technology and expand internationally, with a long-term ambition to build a substantial UK-founded technology business.
Lifted Ventures has been active on the angel side this year; the firm reports it led and closed 26 investment deals since January 2024 and has a stated interest in supporting female-led startups. That track record helps explain their participation in this round.
In the announcement, Helen Oldham, co-founder at Lifted Ventures, said:
xigxag is redefining the way people experience books. Their innovative approach, strong growth and clear vision make them an ideal investment for members of our angel network and we are excited to support their journey as they scale globally.
If you're researching potential backers in this space:
- Explore our list of media venture capital firms in the UK
- Browse our directory of media angel investors in the UK
The bigger picture
xigxag’s proposition intersects with several trends in the UK and European ecosystem: renewed attention to accessibility and inclusive design, ongoing experimentation in digital rights and packaging, and investor interest in UK-founded content-technology businesses. The startup’s use of the EIS route to attract angels is typical for early-stage UK companies seeking tax-efficient retail and angel capital.
If xigxag can convert its current catalogue and organic growth into sustainable institutional traction—through publisher partnerships, education contracts or library deals—it may offer a model for how digital reading formats evolve in the next decade. The involvement of experienced book industry founders also signals that traditional publishing stakeholders are willing to back new-format experiments from UK startups.
As the company raises and scales, its progress will be one to watch for anyone tracking how UK startups try to repackage cultural content for digital-first audiences across Europe and beyond.
They've invested in Xigxag
Get to know these media investors
Click here for a full list of 7,233+ startup investors in the UK